Make your work, your products, your life--- beautiful.

“One day Dostoevsky threw out the enigmatic remark: "Beauty will save the world". What sort of a statement is that? For a long time I considered it mere words. How could that be possible? When in bloodthirsty history did beauty ever save anyone from anything? Ennobled, uplifted, yes - but whom has it saved?

There is, however, a certain peculiarity in the essence of beauty, a peculiarity in the status of art: namely, the convincingness of a true work of art is completely irrefutable and it forces even an opposing heart to surrender. It is possible to compose an outwardly smooth and elegant political speech, a headstrong article, a social program, or a philosophical system on the basis of both a mistake and a lie. What is hidden, what distorted, will not immediately become obvious.

Then a contradictory speech, article, program, a differently constructed philosophy rallies in opposition - and all just as elegant and smooth, and once again it works. Which is why such things are both trusted and mistrusted.

In vain to reiterate what does not reach the heart.

But a work of art bears within itself its own verification: conceptions which are devised or stretched do not stand being portrayed in images, they all come crashing down, appear sickly and pale, convince no one. But those works of art which have scooped up the truth and presented it to us as a living force - they take hold of us, compel us, and nobody ever, not even in ages to come, will appear to refute them.

So perhaps that ancient trinity of Truth, Goodness and Beauty is not simply an empty, faded formula as we thought in the days of our self-confident, materialistic youth? If the tops of these three trees converge, as the scholars maintained, but the too blatant, too direct stems of Truth and Goodness are crushed, cut down, not allowed through - then perhaps the fantastic, unpredictable, unexpected stems of Beauty will push through and soar to that very same place, and in so doing will fulfil the work of all three?

In that case Dostoevsky's remark, "Beauty will save the world", was not a careless phrase but a prophecy? After all he was granted to see much, a man of fantastic illumination.

And in that case art, literature might really be able to help the world today?”
― Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, Nobel Lecture

Riddle: Can you spot the economic interplay?

To See the One


They move nearer,
from Tarshish, Arabia, and Seba.
A bright star shines a path for all and three
lighting the faces with wonder.
Soon, soon the caravan will enter the city of David.


Do they know of Daniel and Melchizedek
Have they studied the yesterday?
Bending an ear to holy words,
while traveling with earnestness.
Closer to the house of bread.


Bringing treasures that will astound
The peasants and devoted shepherds.
The child will see these troves
but look to the hearts that lay them low.
Piercing crimson arrows of love.


They are of the few
who took the time,
to see the One,
Who will be at the wedding and in the water
It is not a fantasy nor for the weak of soul.


Listen, they approach
Camels’ hoofs draw near
Regal garments for wise men indeed
Turbans spun from threads of gold
Alas, they have come to see the One.


Down they descend with great awe
Not knowing just how to draw near
The great wise men are now the servants
Little and lowly with humble nods
Evermore having faith?


Glory of glories
Servant of servants
Purest of all,
a babe in a stable
Blessing the night and all nights to come.


by,
LaDawn Wilson

There is More to Just Buying Stuff

Economics really is about an exchange that occurs between human beings and we are doing it all the time. Shouldn’t our exchanges have value in our daily lives? You can bring value. A little independence mixed in with some creativity and light-heartedness makes for a great combination: the entrepreneurial spirit. It all comes together in the end if you just push forward and allow yourself to be somewhat disciplined and a little quirky with creative juices. Jot down ideas on paper. Carry a small notebook around with you for idea entries. If you see great quotes, start a file on you mac/pc especially for those lines. Ask tons of questions on topics that interest you, no matter how silly the question seems. Read great literature because the mystery of our nature is in those pages and who knows where that might lead you. 

One of the great mysteries of life is to allow yourself to be continuously fine tuned.  Fine tuning yourself is not about giving up anything, it is about getting to the real stuff that is in you. Who knows, maybe your greatest exchange will happen when you sell a great design for a building no one ever imagined was possible or you buy the rarest copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy in some unlikely hole in the wall in Detroit. Who knows! It is all part of our great personal adventure. 

Services can also be an exchange. For instance, taking your bike in to be repaired is a service one is providing you. It used to be that people would exchange services. Eg. You give me a chicken if I fix your cart. Today, we pay for services rendered. Money is much easier to use and provides efficiency, which, in the end, gives you more time to do other things.

Interestingly enough, our best exchanges, I think, occur when we are contemplating the effects the exchange may have on ourselves and those around us. Our attitudes, our desire to fine tune ourselves, an acceptance of others; all three carry us up to a better part of ourselves. With that in your everyday exchanges, you are more apt to have more serenity and feel more satisfied with the purchases you make. And when you sell an item, you will do it with an ethical approach. Help to transform the way we think about buying and selling things or services. 

Formation anyone?

Formative years used to end about age twenty-three. I use the word formative liberally, to include the years one is in college because the peer pressure is still strong and the brain is being used constantly (hopefully). By that time, you could pretty much assume that a person had some inkling as to what good manners were (even if he/she wasn't using them), a basic understanding that hard work didn't entitle you to whine, and that there was no such thing as 24/7 happiness. Working, giving, volunteering, enjoying the joyful moments, living through grief, paying a mortgage, and the beat goes on.....was all part of a FULL life. 

I am not trying to beat up on young people because quite frankly- I know many forty something clueless sha-nay-nay women and many middle aged self-absorbed men who have not reached the conclusion of their own formative years. (You may know who you are.) Those of you who are in your twenties have an advantage right here: you can decide to reach the end of your formative years. How do you do that and what does that have to do with economics?

Most importantly, please quit expecting your parents to be or do something for you. They may not have reached adulthood (even though they look old). At some point you have have to break the umbilical chord if they refuse to do it. Codependency is a huge issue for many modern cultures and sometimes boundaries have to be set up so you can grow up. A good rule of thumb: Don't let others do for you if you can do for yourself. Of course, that means you may have to do your own laundry, shop for your own food, and pay your own bills. Shocker, I know. What you should let others do for you: pray for you, buy you a birthday present, converse with you because they care, and help pay for your education if they can. And you can't change them no matter how awful they are or appear to be to you. Acceptance of them without being a door mat is a huge step toward becoming a grown-up who knows how to reconcile the ideal with reality.

Secondly, inject something into your culture that is worth the effort. You have to be really careful with this one. Don’t rely on emotionally inordinate dramatized visions of grandiosity when thinking up this idea. Pretend your seventy-five; what would you make, say, or do that will define what is in your soul for posterity? Think about how Tolkien portrayed Gandalf or Michelangelo sculpted the Pieta. These things are deep in you and will be magnificent examples of truth, beauty, and goodness. Every single person has this magnificence in them. I teach by bringing ideas to young people in a way that they can picture and become a part of. I can’t sing or draw very well, but I can get others excited about little things deep in them. It may not seem like much but it is what is in me that has to be shared with others.

Finally, (maybe this is actually more important) try to laugh at yourself. My gosh, I know old bitter people, who are on the verge of exploding like glass. Those types usually end up drinking too much or sulking their lives away. You know the type? They sometimes appear like life is grand but you really don’t know if you can trust them or if they are on some odd drug. Scary. Stay away. I think they must have forgotten that blushing is normal and that blundering can cause contagious belly laughs.  It just makes life a little more bearable. And do not become one of those sarcastic oafs who makes fun of others; it only makes you look like you have an inferiority complex. Besides, if you want to be a real grown-up you don’t have time for brassy rudeness. 

Tomorrow: What does this all have to do with economics?

Let's Get Started!

MaterMax Blog

Maximum Economics in the Social World!!!

Young adults everywhere want to know why the job market has left them behind and what they can do about it. Well, that was the age range until recently. It does not matter if you are middle aged, on the verge of retirement, or a young whipper snapper searching for that great entry level career start. This economy sucks, period.

Why? Why is it so hard to find a job? Because, my friends, the jobs are not to be found like they were a few short years ago. I know this may come as a surprise to many of you who thought that pumping billions of dollars into the economy would jump start some fanatical economic growth for our good old USA. Those who invest in new business saw the writing on the wall and it wasn’t pretty. You cannot print money and pump it expecting smart men and women to buy the lie. That’s because they have common sense, which sadly to say, is like a bygone pastime that rarely sees the light of day anymore.

Common Sense is an awareness that things are what they are and are not what they are not. Ah, you say, but my reality is my reality and your reality is your reality. Really? What is 2+2? It is not 5 and we both know this to be true.  Truth is truth. This economy sucks. Period.

That does not mean that we should throw in the towel and give up. Be aware and be alert. Opportunities abound around every word you hear and every sight you see. What is the next hip rap or rad t-shirt design?  People still want things. They just can’t have it all- all the time. And really, is that such a bad thing for our young whipper snappers to learn once again? Learning that saving for a rainy day might keep bread in the pantry, that using a towel twice saves water and electricity, that getting a minimum wage job does not kill your chances of being asked to the prom, or that self-identity is not defined by how often you go to the mall that week. Sadly to say, many adults who have been around awhile need to be reminded of these words, too. Myself included.

This blog is about finding the opportunities and discovering our own unique way to utilize the resources out there. You are your greatest resource right now.

LaDawn Wilson